Bracket support for electric outlet box



y 1963 J. R. RICHARDS 3,097,821

BRACKET SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC OUTLET BOX Filed Nov. 10, 1960 Fig. 3

IN VEN T 0R. JOHN R 2/ 0/4/1205 H/s ATTORNEY United Stts 3,097,821BRACKET SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC OUTLET BOX John R. Richards, Mount LebanonTownship, Allegheny County, Pa, assignor to J. R. Richards Company,Garnegie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 10, 196i), Ser.No. 68,493 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-216) This invention relates generally tosupports capable of being driven by a hand hammer and more particularlyto a support for electrical outlet boxes and the like in the form of abracket having integral tines.

Brackets for supporting objects such as outlet boxes and the like areusually provided with nail holes to permit the user to drive nailsthrough the bracket into the studding or joist on which the box is to bemounted. This requires the installer to carry nails. Again nails do nothold the bracket tightly. A bump to the box or a pull on a cable throughthe box will loosen it slightly. If the box has been plastered in it maycause fine cracks and continual working on the box may cause it to bevery loose. This is unsatisfactory. Many improvements have been made tocorrect this situation but they fall short of providing a very tight andsolid support.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a bracket,secured to :a box or other member to be supported, which has 'formedthereon a plurality of tines integral with the bracket. These tines aredisposed and constructed to provide a very tight holding support.

Another object is the provision of a support bracket having a flangewith integral tines grouped to be capable of being driven by hand hammerblows todrive them into the wood.

Another object is the provision of a support bracket having a flangewith integral tines punched to extend substantially at right angles fromthe 'face of the flange so that their combined angular disposition gripsthe member into which they are driven.

Another object is the provision of a supporting bracket having a clusterof projecting integral tines selected of which face in oppositedirections to provide :a grip on the member in which they are driven.

Another object is the provision of a supporting bracket having a clusterof spaced projecting integral tines which lean away from each otherowing to the fact that they are substantially ninety degrees from theface of the bracket and thus diverge from each other.

Another object is the provision of a bracket having at least threeclustered integral tines with their backs to each other and punched fromthe bracket leaving slots lying in different planes. These planes may beparallel or intersect. The purpose is to have their backs to each otheryet lean away to produce a grip.

Another object is the provision of a tine in a mounting bracket having asharpened or pointed free end, a stern and a head which is wider and isintegral with the flange of the bracket. In punching these tines fromthe flange they are initially indented along the inside fiace befiorebeing sheared. This produces a groove along the shank providing arounded back with sharp marginal edges on the front. When these edgesare flattened along the stem between the pointed end and the head a barbis formed on the pointed head which aids to cut the fibers when enteringthe wood or cutting a path in block such as cinder or slag block andlock the tines in place. These barbs in combination with the slightslant of the tines relative to eagh other increases their grippingpower.

Other objects and advantages of this invention appear hereinafter in thefollowing description and claim.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of 3,697,821 FatentedJuly 16, 1963 exemplification without limiting this invention or theclaim thereto, certain practical embodiments illustrating the principlesof this invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outlet box having a bracket attachedthereto.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the top of the box illustrating how the samemay be attached to another member.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the under side of the flange showing the prongsthemselves.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a single prong.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the single prong.

Referring to the drawings the outlet box 1 may be any one of manydifferent types of outlet boxes for the wall, ceiling or it may be acharacter of box that requires one or more brackets to support the same.As shown the bracket is provided with the short flange 2 screwed orwelded as indicated at 3 to the outlet box 1. The long flange 4 isspaced from the opening at the top of the box 5 :as indicated at 6 whichis allowed for plastering and the like. When the box with the bracket issecured to a studding or other nailable member the distance 6 isprovided to permit the rock lathe to be mounted over the top surface ofthe flange 4 and then receive the plaster and paper coating stillpermitting the top of the box 5 to be flush with the surface of the wallso that it may receive the switch or outlet together with the mountingplate and other members employed in combination with an outlet box ofthis character. It the box is not to be flush with the surface of thewall the flange 2 may then be "fastened to the box adjacent the top orrim 5 or if it is required to extend from the surface of the wall theflange 2 may be secured to the box intermediate of its depth. Thus themanner in which the bracket is secured to the outlet structure 1 dependsupon the use to which the outlet structure is to be placed.

The flange 4 is provided with a plurality of tines preferably at leastthree as indicated in the drawings. These tines are shown at 7, 8 and 10having been formed from the flange 4- and extending substantially atright angles. As illustrated in FIG. 4 the tine is from two to threedegrees less than It is important that it not be fully 90 because thedisposition of these tines aid in tightly grasping and lockingthemselves into the material into which they are inserted. Each of thetines leave a slot or opening 11 into the material from which they arepunched. The slot depicts the general outline of the time by providing apointed section 12, a stem section 13 and a head section 14. Thecorresponding parts or" this slot 11 are found in the tine itselfwherein the point or pointed portion 15 was cut from correspondingportion 12 of the slot and the stem section 16 together with the headsection 17. The tool used in making this punching is pointed along thecenterline of the tine so as to produce a groove tor indentation 18longitudinally of the line and which extends to the head 17 leaving thewings 2t adjacent the point. The wings 20 are flattened on theintermediate portion of the stem 16 as indicated at 21. Thus the wings20 form a barb-like structure with respect to the whole of the tine.

The head 17 is triangular becoming larger towards the parent metalforming the triangular sides 22 which terminate immediately adjacent themetal to provide the parallel sides 23. Thus when the tine is bent andformed, the head 17 provides the transverse curved portion 24 with theparent metal.

When the sharp edged tool is used to form the tongue and produce theindentation 18 the back of the time is rounded as indicated at 25. Thistype of punching also produces a slight bevel 26 adjacent the tip of thepoint 15 connecting the point to the back of the tine.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 it is preferred to employ the two tines 8 and10 in parallel relation adjacent the outlet box 1 and have the backs ofthese tines facing the back of the single time 7. This cluster of threetines places the punching surface 27 in the middle of the three tinesand permits one to employ a hammer on this area for the purpose ofdriving the three tines into the wood or other nailable material. Sinceeach of the three tines slightly bend away from each other they have thetendency of deviating from each other as they are being driven into theWood. However, the wings 20 keep them from going too far. The result isthat they produce a very tight grip in the wood. The deviation producesa drift in each tine that takes in more material between the three andthus tightly clamps the flange to the Wood. This deviation or driftingincludes more material rather than less material in the formation of thegripping area.

The wings 2t) and the flattened portions 21 cut the fibers and produceshoulders which aid in holding their position in the wood.

The tines may be punched out of the flange 4 in a Way that they all aredisposed in a direction toward each other, that is, if the slots 11 ofthe tines 8 and 10 are at an angle of approximately 45 to the tine 7then they will produce a symmetrical trihedr al in the material in whichthey enter. However, it is difiicult to punch material in these planesand to approximate this, the planes of the tines 8 and 10 are madeparallel with each other and parallel with the slot of the tine 7. Inthis way a gripping action is produced in the material into which thetines are driven that will require the distraction of the flange and thematerial into which the tines are driven before they can be removed ortorn from position.

As shown in FIG. 2 the specific location of the three tines asillustrated by the construction lines 30' and 31 place the two tines 8and 10 close to the edge of a twoby-four and actually spaced the outletbox 1 materially from the construction line 31. If the two-by-four isrepresented by the lines 32 and 33 the flange 2 forms a 4 gauge forlocking the box 1 and the tines 8 and 10 are then in the center of thetwo-'by-four studding wherein the tine 7 is closer to the edge.

By employing the construction lines 34 and 35 the tines are centeredwithin the studding which would be halfway between the constructionlines 34 and 35 which provides the strongest position for the particulartines as shown on the flange 4.

One could employ a bracket 4 of different length and position the tinesin any desired cluster at a predetermined distance from the flange 2 toproperly center them and still employ the flange 2 as a gauge andposition them in the center of the mass of the studding which isordinarily a two-by-four asemployed in building construotion.

I claim:

A bracket for supporting electrical boxes on nailable materialconsisting of a met-a1 flange for securing the bracket to an outlet box,a laterally extending plate on said flange, a plurality of closelyspaced rigid nailing prongs integral with and extending in the samedirection at substantially right angles from the bottom of said plate,said prongs are indented along one side and have a pointed free end, aportion of said indented prong being flattened to provide barbs on theindented edges adjacent the pointed free end, said prongs closely spacedfrom each other to define in said plate a rigid hammering area with ahammering face on the top of said plate between the positions from whereeach of said prongs are integral with said plate, said rigid hammeringarea when struck simultaneously drives all of said prongs into thenailable material to secure the bracket and its electrical box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,309,261 Tallman Jan. 26, 1943 2,409,152 Rundell Oct. 8, 1946 2,973,175Appleton Feb. 28, 1961

